When it was time for Birmingham (Ala.) Briarwood Christian quarterback Barrett Trotter to announce his commitment, he made it simple.

He stepped in front of a large gathering that included teammates, coaches, teachers, his parents and media, and thanked them for helping him reach this point. Then it came down to a simple announcement, no hats, no gimmicks.

"Next year I will be attending school at Auburn University," said Trotter. "I'm real excited about that. I'm ready to win a state championship this year and keep on winning down at Auburn."

The 6-foot-2, 193-pound Trotter said he actually grew up an Alabama fan. He comes from a mixed family. His father graduated from Alabama, his mother is from Knoxville, Tenn., and both of his older brothers graduated from Auburn.